There’s a chance to feel the same vibe again.
Summary:
- A Bride's Story is a historical romance manga.
- It follows a 20-year-old woman who is sent to wed a 12-year-old boy.
- The manga is very well-written, and the art style is wonderful.
The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto) Season 1 is over, and no one knows when Season 2 will come yet.
If it’s been one of your favorite anime for the past couple of seasons, it’s natural that you would miss the series dearly and want to experience something like it. And we have a suggestion: A Bride’s Story.
Strong Female Lead and an Arranged Marriage
A Bride's Story (Otoyomegatari) is a historical romance manga written and illustrated by Kaoru Mori. It started back in October 2008, but the upsetting news is that it’s still unfinished, so it’ll take some time until you find out how the story ends, but there are already over 100 chapters for you to read.
A Bride’s Story takes place in the 19th century and follows Amir Halgal, a beautiful 20-year-old woman. As you understand from the name of the manga, the woman has to get married. She travels from a faraway village for an arranged marriage with Karluk, who is just a 12-year-old boy.
Such a significant age difference couldn’t be left unnoticed, so it’s natural that the relationship between Amir and Karluk is a bit weird at first. However, these two manage to learn how to live with each other over time and even form a peculiar bond.
Just like The Apothecary Diaries, this manga will surprise you with its strong, clever and very skilled female lead. The author put a lot of effort and historical research into the series, and you’ll definitely feel it.
The Story Is Great
Despite a very misleading synopsis, the story is not problematic at all, it features a lot of stories about brides that explore their struggles and lives. You’ll gain a lot of perspective on some Asian cultures and their customs, there may even be some things that will surprise you.
The concept of arranged marriages might sound extremely outrageous for Western readers, but don’t let it put you off: A Bride’s Story is not a depressing manga about the suffering of women who were forced to get married, it’ll explore different aspects of such marriages and tell you various interesting stories.
The art style of the manga is stunning and some readers even call it noble. The attention to detail is incredible, and you’ll find yourself mesmerized with all the traditional clothing and ornaments.
A Bride’s Story is also very good when it comes to its characters and their development. Romance doesn’t happen overnight there, the manga makes it clear: such things have to be earned.
Overall, A Bride’s Story is a very well-written manga that will surprise you with its depth, and simple and endearing slice-of-life moments at the same time. And give you The Apothecary Diaries vibes of course!